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COOKIE JAR CAFÉAddress: 1887 Kelly Cross Road in DunlapHours: Tuesday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST; closed Sunday-MondayPhone: 423-949-5852
Under a blue sky and cotton-ball clouds, I made the drive to Cookie Jar Café. With my windows down and music up, my driver’s seat seemed like an ideal place to spend the afternoon — or at least it seemed that way before I arrived to the café. I decided then that the farmhouse-style café located on the Johnson family farm was exactly where I wanted to be.
I took a seat at its lunch bar alongside Dining Out photographer Mark Gilliland, whom I found savoring a slice of chocolate pie. I eyed a glistening, whole strawberry pie on the counter. The air smelled of baked goods.
Yes, Cookie Jar Café is the place to be — wherever that may be. On May 6 and 7 the café is taking its eats on the road to Dunlap’s annual Valley Fest, where it will feature a food booth.
Valley Fest kicks off May 6 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and continues May 7 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST. Daily admission is $8 for adults and $2 for children. Cookie Jar will serve hearty plates of smoked pork, chicken and dumplings, and snacks described by owner Sue Ann Lockhart as “carnival-style.” Examples include funnel fries or barbecue nachos made with kettle chips.
And, of course, there will be strawberry pie — among the café’s other famous fruit-heavy desserts, such as strawberry cheesecake, fresh strawberry cake, strawberry shortcake and triple-stacked strawberry torte; made with a pecan crust, a blend of Cool Whip and cream cheese, and fresh, ripe berries.
“It’s peak strawberry season!” said Sue Ann, who expects to be using fresh local strawberries for all her recipes by May. “The weather broke early this year.”
And The Sequatchie Valley just keeps getting sweeter.